The Palm Sunday, March 28, 2010, Severe Thunderstorm Outbreak

Strong to Severe Storms in the Upper Midwest; Bering Sea Low Continues to Impact Southwest Alaska

Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible Thursday across central and eastern Minnesota, Iowa, and western Wisconsin. A few tornadoes, isolated very large hail, and damaging winds may occur. In southwest Alaska, a Bering Sea low continues to cause strong winds, significant rainfall, and high seas, with further impacts expected Friday into the weekend from a North Pacific storm. Read More >

MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0220 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 0221 PM CDT SUN MAR 28 2010 AREAS AFFECTED...PARTS OF NE GA AND UPSTATE SC INTO WRN NC CONCERNING...SEVERE POTENTIAL...WATCH LIKELY VALID 281921Z - 282115Z CORRECTED STATES IN HEADER IT SEEMS PROBABLE THAT THE RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS WILL INCREASE LATE THIS AFTERNOON...WITH A WATCH LIKELY BY AROUND 21Z. UNCERTAINTY EXISTS CONCERNING MID-LEVEL SUBSIDENCE...JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE AXIS OF A 90 KT SOUTHWESTERLY 500 MB JET STREAK NOSING NORTHEASTWARD TO THE IMMEDIATE LEE OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS... AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT ON CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT LATE THIS AFTERNOON...PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE LACK OF STRONGER INSTABILITY. BUT ONGOING DESTABILIZATION...ASSOCIATED WITH BOUNDARY LAYER HEATING AND LOW-LEVEL THERMAL/MOISTURE ADVECTION NEAR A REMNANT FRONTAL ZONE TO THE LEE OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN...IS CONTRIBUTING TO INCREASING/DEEPENING CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. AS FURTHER SLOW DESTABILIZATION PROGRESSES THIS AFTERNOON...IN THE PRESENCE OF STRONG DEEP LAYER SHEAR...INCREASING NEW THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY APPEARS PROBABLE...WITH THE POTENTIAL THAT A FEW COULD BECOME SEVERE. RUC IS SUGGESTIVE THAT STRENGTHENING OF SOUTHERLY 850 MB FLOW MAY OCCUR NEAR A WEAK FRONTAL WAVE ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS BY THE 21-23Z TIME FRAME...ENLARGING CLOCKWISE CURVED LOW-LEVEL HODOGRAPHS...AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE RISK FOR TORNADOES ...IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL/LOCALIZED POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. ..KERR.. 03/28/2010 ATTN...WFO...CAE...GSP...MRX...FFC... LAT...LON 35328368 35878251 35938178 35498111 34998079 34358141 33898228 33788321 34088389 34618400 35328368